College basketball player Caitlin Clark surpassed “Pistol Pete” Maravich on Sunday to break the NCAA’s all-time scoring record that has stood for more than half a century.
The history-making shots happened during a face-off between Clark’s No. 6 Iowa and No. 2 Ohio State during her team’s final regular home season game this season.
With a pair of free throws, the 22-year-old senior rose above the 3,667 point benchmark set by Maravich in 1970.
Caitlin Clark is now the All Time Leading Scorer in NCAA History. HER.
pic.twitter.com/VoJyk1erdk— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 3, 2024
Loud cheers erupted in the arena when Clark made the second shot. The Iowa Hawkeyes went on to win the contest by a 93-83 score.
Clark, an Iowa native, is a guard for the Hawkeyes in her fourth season. Her accomplishment on Sunday was met with widespread praise, including from high-profile politicians from her home state.
“History is made! Congrats to all-time leading scorer [Caitlin Clark],” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said in a post on X.
Senior Day Dub. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/9ktJueP52P
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 3, 2024
“Caitlin Clark cements herself as the gr8est college bball player EVER as she breaks the all time scoring record The pride of Iowa & leader of a gr8 Hawkeye wbb TEAM,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said a post to X. “Congrats to Clark The GOAT.”
Though Clark has now surpassed Maravich, there have been some changes in college basketball since he played for LSU from the late 1960s to 1970.
History. Witnessed.
Caitlin Clark is now the ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER in college basketball history, breaking Pete Maravich's 54-year old record❗️ pic.twitter.com/88a3g8l5H0
— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 3, 2024
Maravich participated in college hoops at a time before freshman eligibility for varsity teams. And though Maravich was known to be a long-range bomber, he played while limited to two-point shots.
Sports Illustrated said the NCAA did not universally adopt the three-pointer until 1986. Maravich died from a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 40 following 10 years in the NBA, where he first got a chance to play with a three-point shot toward the end of his career, NBA.com noted.
Last week, Clark broke the record for the most points scored in major women’s college basketball, beating the 3,649 mark set by Lynette Woodard when she played for Kansas from 1977 to 1981.
Clark, who also boasts NIL partnerships and three gold medals, announced on Thursday that she will be entering the WNBA Draft.
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) February 29, 2024
In the meantime, the Hawkeyes are gearing up for another March Madness tournament after being defeated by LSU in the championship game in last year’s contest.